Britain suspends Rwanda aid on DR Congo rebel support
LONDON — Britain said Friday it would withhold £21 million ($33.7 million, 25.9 million euros) in aid to Rwanda following concerns over its support of rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The announcement by International Development Secretary Justine Greening follows the widely-criticised decision by her predecessor Andrew Mitchell to restore a tranche of aid in September following its suspension in July.
Britain meanwhile said it would give a further £18 million to provide 100,000 people in DR Congo with food, water, household items and emergency education, as the advance of M23 rebels sparks fears of a humanitarian catastrophe.
“The government has already set out its concerns over credible and compelling reports of Rwandan involvement with M23 in DRC,” Greening said in a statement.
“This evidence constitutes a breach of the partnership principles set out in the memorandum of understanding, and as a result I have decided not to release the next payment of budget support to Rwanda.”
Under these principles, Britain will only provide aid to governments who show strong action on reducing poverty, tackling corruption, improving accountability and meeting international obligations to support peace and respect human rights.
“We are committed to finding lasting solutions to the conflict in this region and will work with the governments of Rwanda and DRC to secure a peaceful resolution to the situation in eastern DRC,” Greening said.
Britain is the second largest bilateral donor to Rwanda after the United States and had been due to grant £75 million this year, of which £37 million was general budget support payable directly to the government.
Over the four previous years, Britain paid out about £265 million in total aid to Rwanda, according to officials.
Britain suspended its aid in July along with other Western donors after a UN report accused Rwandan officials of backing army mutineers in eastern DR Congo, who formed a rebel group called M23. Rwanda strongly denied this.
In September, however, outgoing international development minister Andrew Mitchell said half the suspended funds — £8 million — would be paid to the government as planned and the other half donated through alternative channels.
Greening’s action blocks £21 million of general budget support which was due to be paid in December.
Source: AFP
Gaciro se alikora kumufuka ahembe abakozi ???
Aho noneho abanyarwanda ntibagiye kubona ko Gaciro agiye kuzaba aka KAKAMASA ?KAZACINKA ???
Gaciro yahagalitse kwiyemera no gutukana abanyarwanda bakabona insfashanyo ???
Ugirango se nadahemba abakozi amezi atatu gusa KAGACIRO KE NTIKAZABA KARANGIYE Nazangabo (abajepe) akangisha atera ubwoba abaturage ntekereza ko IGIHE KIZABA KIGEZE NGO IZO NGABO ZIMUBAZE IMPAMVU ATEYE IBIBAZO URWANDA NABANYARWANDA Hungru man angry man
Mushikiwabo nagabanye amalira
Abo bazungu nibagire vuba bashyireho undi President, wenda we yaza atamira bunguri IGUFWA!!!!!
This makes me a sad man but still with our
History we can still go foward not on the same
Pace but we have too. Donors have rights to
Grant their donations on conditions that sweets
Them and our government have a responsibility
To protect our foreign policies most Espeshally
From FDLR killers supported by DR government
So my point is that we are sad with such bad news
But we can exchange our freedom, security and dignity
With money just becouse green said so. I believe
We can go foward and we will try to show the world
That we are trying our best to reach their expectation
And that our hope. For our partners we have been
Great for their contribution and we are looking foward
How to iron our differences do people shouldn’t worry
Our driver is on the right road.
To me this act should be treated like a wake up call to all of us, this is their tax payer money, they need to know how it is being used. So I think that the effect of this act; suffering of our people, should make us think about how we can be more self sufficient.
Who does not know how these so called donor got to this point ? Isn’t through the MARSHAL PROGRAM set up by the U.S after the world war II to help them financially ? But skilled they are, they managed to change their status from those who request for donations to those who give donations conditionally.
Why can’t we emulate them ? Why always to ask for donations ? Can’t we work without their donations even at the slowest speed ?
Let us suffer instead of selling our freedom may be the suffering would teach us how to be more self reliant.
amafaranga ntaho ahuriye nubuzima bwabantu imfashanyo nimfashanyo ubuzima buzakomeza ntabwo byahagarika ukurikuriho namenyoyintare abantubayavuyemo.
@Gahanga yo right but economically we can’t
Do without donations and am sure you know this.
Our country have no resources even great countries
Like Nigeria, Egypt still get money from donors so
Let’s not miss a point that we can manage life without
Western money coz poverty can fail our government and
Military power means money so we do need that money.am
Encouraging you all countrymen to do whatever you can
Either comments on net or direct to British foreign office website
Let’s express our fear to them and ask them to reinstate our
Donation without preconditions. Their has been no indication
That Rwanda have ever misused donation and with neighbours
We can help DRC to stablerize.
Rwanda is our beloved country let’s not show our defferences
Within national economy. Together we can make the world understand
For our demands.
Godbless Rwanda
But why should Rwandan be so concerned of Congo’s security to extent of being sunctioned? Where are the minerals money of Congo disck of 1st and 2nd Congo so that poor Rwandans of your type to say any thing against the world concerned profesionals our wrong charactors they abuse in cover of their eviles. Offcourse wrong charactors I mean Paul Kagame and his mouth piece Mushikiwabo indondogozi itazi ibyirimo masikini! What does Rwanda gain in those mineral money to extent of killing our very young and usefull Nationals in RDF who were lastly slougthered by special forces of Gatama in the name of FDRL? When did Bgn Gatama become FDRL? He is the very commander of the enter region chief deceptionists were saying that FDRL came from! Gatama has been in that area for three years with together with Nkangura and Kagame Alex. Gatama was used in that area to kill Congolese, Rwandies and even whites. His forces lastly killed workers of UN and their terp! They kill col. Ali going for the bariel of his nephew, he killed col. Nsengiyunva on mision which was blessed by Jack Nziza and his fellow goons! Mana ubehafi utabare Urwatubyaye na Karere kacu kayobowe namashitani gusa. Ntawavuga ubuhemubwanyu ngo burangire! Nvuge ibyaba Nyejomba na Banyarucuro, na Bagogwe na Banyamurenge na FDRL na FARDC ubakoresha kumarana! Kwica umucakara ukoresheje undi! Umutima usobetse amaganya ntusobanura amagambo ariko Mana ubirebe witure abantu ibikorwa b yamaboko ahekura nururimi ruteranya ibirukwiye!